Father & Stepmother Arrested As Mom Reports Daughter Missing 2 Years After Final ‘Frightened’ FaceTime Call
7-year-old Harmony is still missing.
Manchester New Hampshire Police Department The father of 7-year-old Harmony Montgomery has been arrested and charged in connection with her disappearance.
This follows Harmony’s mother’s repeated criticisms of New Hampshire’s Division For Children, Youth and Families’ handling of the case.
Adam Montgomery, 31, has been charged with a second-degree felony assault charge, two misdemeanor counts of endangering the welfare of a child, and one misdemeanor count of interference with custody.
Adam's wife, Kayla Montgomery, was arrested on January 6 arrested and charged with welfare fraud.
She is accused of collecting more than $1,500 in food stamp benefits for Harmony, even though Harmony was no longer living with Kayla and Adam
Harmony’s mom Crystal Renee Sorey first reported her missing to police in November 2021 but claims she hasn’t had contact with her daughter since Easter 2019.
Who is Harmony Montgomery’s mom, Crystal Sorey?
Sorey says she lost custody of Harmony in 2018 due, in part, to her substance abuse issues. At this time, Harmony was sent to live with her biological father, Adam.
Jonathon Miller, the adoptive father of Harmony’s younger brother, says Harmony and her brother have been in and out of foster care.
After he and his husband Blair adopted Jamison, her brother, three years ago Miller contacted social services in Massachusetts with plans to adopt Harmony but was told she was with her father.
According to an affidavit in the case, Sorey made repeated attempts to locate her daughter since losing custody including by contacting various schools and driving by addresses associated with Adam.
Harmony Montgomery was last seen in 2019.
During a final FaceTime call with her daughter, Sorey says that Harmony “seemed frightened” and Adam was visible in the background of the video chat.
According to an affidavit, Adam then cut off all contact with Sorey and Harmony’s family.
Sorey wrote on Facebook this week that she had repeatedly tried to find Harmony in the years following the call.
"Myself & her family have filed dozens of reports of abuse & neglect & nothing was done until I called the police & wrote a letter to the NH mayor," Sorey wrote.
Harmony was reported missing in November 18, 2021.
The Manchester Police Department attempted to track Adam down at this time and were able to contact his brother, Michael Montgomery, on December 30.
“Michael recalled during his last physical contact with H.M. and Adam, he had concerns that Adam was physically abusive towards H.M.,” read court documents.
Michael reportedly said other family members had told him that his brother had given Harmony a black eye.
Adam Montgomery was arrested on January 4 but Harmony remains missing.
Adam’s three other children, who he shares with his wife Kayla Montgomery, are all accounted for.
On December 31, Kayla told police that she last saw Harmony around November or December 2019 when her husband told her he was driving her to her mother in Massachusetts.
She added that she had not seen Adam since November 2021 as he was now living with another woman.
Later that day, police found Adam sleeping in his car with his girlfriend. He allegedly told them Harmony was fine and he had seen her “somewhat recently.”
However, he later claimed he had not seen his daughter since Crystal Sorey came to pick her up around Thanksgiving 2019. Sorey “outright denied” this ever happened.
His arrest is based on the allegations that he physically abused Harmony, knowingly concealed her from the state's DCYF and "refused to provide the Manchester Police Department information leading to the whereabouts" of Harmony, according to the criminal complaint.
The police have raised concerns about Harmony’s whereabouts.
Manchester police have stressed that their focus is to find Harmony.
In a statement they stated that Montgomery “is а 7-yeаr-old white femаle, аbout 4 feet tаll, 50 pounds, with blonde hаir, blue eyes, аnd glаsses.”
“Pleаse see the аttаched flyer for the most up-to-dаte Hаrmony photos. Anyone with informаtion аbout Hаrmony’s whereаbouts should contаct the Mаnchester Police Depаrtment аt (603) 792-5561 or Detective Jаck Dunleаvy аt (603) 792-5561. Cаll the Mаnchester Crimeline аt 603-624-4040 to remаin аnonymous.”
Alice Kelly is a senior news and entertainment editor for YourTango. Based out of Brooklyn, New York, her work covers all things social justice, pop culture, and human interest. Keep up with her Twitter for more.